Ohio State's Sullinger sheds pounds, gains edge on court

By Marlen Garcia, USA TODAY

COLUMBUS, Ohio
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Jared Sullinger says he feels lighter on his feet after months of offseason workouts helped him shed fat from his 6-9, 280-pound frame. The Ohio State forward last month tweeted a picture of his shirtless upper body to more than 44,000 followers.

By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

Lighten his load: Jared Sullinger, here posting up Kentucky's Josh Harrellson in the Sweet 16, carried 280 pounds on his 6-9 frame last season. The Ohio State forward has dropped fat through a diet and exercise regimen.

Lighten his load: Jared Sullinger, here posting up Kentucky's Josh Harrellson in the Sweet 16, carried 280 pounds on his 6-9 frame last season. The Ohio State forward has dropped fat through a diet and exercise regimen.

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When OSU coach Thad Matta heard about it, his face turned shades of red, as if in disbelief that his star sophomore had the nerve to show off his abs to the masses.

"Good for him," Matta says. "I want him being proud of what he's done. I've seen the work he's put in since the season ended."

Last season ended for the Buckeyes when Kentucky knocked off the Big Ten Conference champions, then the country's top-ranked team, 62-60 in the Sweet 16 regional semifinal round of the NCAA tournament. The Buckeyes finished 34-3 and lost three starters to graduation.

Sullinger decided to hold off on a professional career and return to chase a national title despite being projected as an NBA draft lottery pick. He led the Buckeyes last season with averages of 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds.

After the loss to Kentucky, Sullinger let loose. "A couple broken walls," he told the Columbus Dispatch the next month. "A couple broken doors. But it's all good. I put it all behind me."

He wasn't joking. He really broke a friend's door.

"I was just frustrated," he says. "That's how I handle my frustration, just by being really aggressive. It was great therapy because as soon as I did that, I kind of snapped back and forgot about it."

Afterward, Sullinger started studying game film, worked on his conditioning and offensive moves and cut back on Wendy's and McDonald's in favor of Subway and salads. "It really helped me out, because my game has stepped to another level," he says. "And it's going to improve from there."

Matta expects Sullinger to be quicker on the perimeter. Known for his post play, Sullinger could use a face-up game to confound opponents.

OSU has another consistent scorer in 6-6 senior guard William Buford, who averaged 14.4 points and shot 46.2% from the field, 44.2% on three-pointers.

In the loss to Kentucky, Buford's scoring touch disappeared (2-for-16 shooting), and he blames himself for the outcome. "That was one of my worst games," he says.

It illustrated how valuable he is to OSU, although Sullinger is the face of the team. Buford is on course to challenge the school's scoring record. He has 1,424 points; fellow Toledo native Dennis Hopson set the record of 2,096 points from 1983 to 1987.

"I want to get the record," Buford says. "It's just so crazy because I never thought I could be the top scorer to play here."

Point guard Aaron Craft says he is rooting for Buford, adding, "For us to be a good team, Will is going to have to score a lot of points."

A lot, too, is riding on Craft, who as a freshman averaged 6.9 points and a team-leading 4.8 assists as the Big Ten's top sixth man. He set the school's single-game assist record with 15 against George Mason in the NCAA tournament.

Craft, Buford and Sullinger need to bring along six newcomers, and they are counting on improvement from 6-7 sophomore Deshaun Thomas (7.5 points, in 14 minutes a game). The most promising freshman might be 6-11 McDonald's All-American Amir Williams, who could start at center unless Sullinger moves there.

Matta, who has used limited player rotations in the past, wants to go deeper.

"If we could play nine or 10 guys," he says, "I'd love it."

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